The overall difference between the gelatin and vegetarian capsules is the raw material and cost. The vegetarian capsule utilizes hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) or Pullulan polysaccharide as its main composition, and its raw material cost is 30-50% higher than in animals (price of HPMC is approximately $45-60 /kg and that of gelatin is $20-30 /kg). According to Grand View Research 2023 figures, the world gelatin capsule still holds 65% market share, yet the growth rate of the annual vegetarian capsule hits 15% to 20%, much higher than the 5% of gelatin, dominated by the European and American markets (vegetarian population over 8%, demand for Halal/Kosher certification increased by 12%).
In contrast to the physical properties, vegetarian capsules and gelatin exhibit a significant disparity. Vegetarian capsules (5%-8% weight gain at 25℃/60%RH) exhibit higher hygroscopicity compared to gelatin (2%-3% weight gain), for which strict control is required (package humidity ≤40%), whereas the heat stability is better (HPMC softening point 185℃ as opposed to gelatin 35-40℃), which is more suitable for shipping in the tropics. In dissolution time, gelatin capsules disintegrate in gastric juices within 10 minutes (pH 1.2), while HPMC capsules disintegrate in 15-20 minutes due to the cross-linked structure. However, this can be reduced to 12 minutes by using disintegrating agents such as crosslinked sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (International Journal of Pharmaceutics, 2021).
Market demand and regulation force technology iteration. The European Union in 2022 updated the Pharmaceutical Packaging Directive to require capsule materials to be USP<3> compliant for biodegradability, and pharmaceutical manufacturers such as Capsugel launched the VeggieGel series (HPMC degradation cycle of 6 months, 2 years required by gelatin). In 2020, the US FDA approved the first vegetable fat-based cannabinoid vegetarian food capsule (Lonza) with a loading efficiency 5% higher than gelatin (low electrostatic adsorption of HPMC), and the individual THC content deviation is compressed from ±10% to ±5%. Projected to grow to $1.2 billion in 2025 by Transparency Market Research with most accelerated growth being in the Asia-Pacific (25% year on year growth), Chinese industry players such as Qingdao Run Hao’s HPMC capsule capacity has increased to 5 billion capsules/year (ROI 18 months).
Energy consumption during manufacturing and eco-footprint form another key axis. Gelatin capsule production requires hot temperature sol (60-70℃), energy usage around 120 kWh/ 10,000 grains, while HPMC cold form process (25-30℃) energy usage is just 80 kWh/ 10,000 grains, thus reducing the carbon footprint by 35%. However, the vegetarian capsule mold wear rate is higher (20% more frequent replacement for each 1 million pieces versus gelatin), induced by HPMC viscoelasticity and similarly increased die wear (hardness 80-100 Shore A versus gelatin 50-70). Switzerland-based Harro Hofliger uses the Hybrid 600 model of two-temperature zone control (30℃ capsule / 40℃ cap) to increase HPMC capsule speed production to 150,000 capsules/hour (virtually 180,000 capsules/hour for gelatin) and enhance the yield to 95% to 98%.
Industry examples foster differentiated competition. In 2021, Pfizer changed the capsule material of its oral drug Paxlovid from gelatin to HPMC (supplied by Catalent) to gain access to the market in Islamic countries, and sales increased by 300 million tablets within one month. Indian pharmaceutical firm Sun Pharma, maker of an affordable malaria drug with gelatin capsules ($0.02 per pill vs $0.035 for veggie capsules), dominates 60% of the African market. In addition, in 2023, the first Pululan polysaccharide capsule (tensile strength 15 N vs 10 N HPMC) was launched in Budenheim, Germany, and is capable of accommodating high-density powder (bulk density ≥0.8 g/cm³), fulfilling the gap of plant capsules in the field of anti-cancer drugs (e.g., paclitaxel).
To sum up, the competitive ground of vegetarian capsules vs gelatin over gelatin is one of cost, performance and values. While vegan capsules face high-end price points (20%-30% premium), technical challenges (e.g., hygroscopicity), their environmental sustainability (30%-40% carbon reduction) and religious acceptability (meeting 95% of Halal certification requirements) are revolutionizing global supply chains. Estimating Lonza figures indicate that with 20% cost saving in plant capsule raw material through scale effects, it ought to outrun gelatin market share by the year 2030 to be the standard preference of solid preparation material packaging.